Yamal expected – Luis de la Fuente says Lamine Yamal will miss Spain’s warmup against Iraq in A Coruña on Thursday, but he expects him to be available for the World Cup opener against Cape Verde on June 15 in Atlanta.
MADRID — Lamine Yamal won’t be in Spain’s warmup on Thursday.
Luis de la Fuente said Wednesday that the 18-year-old will not play in the match against Iraq in A Coruña. The focus now shifts to the first time Spain takes the field for its World Cup run: the opener against Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15.
“If nothing changes, he could be ready to play on June 15,” De la Fuente said. He stressed that it is not a guarantee. explaining the team will decide based on how Yamal feels closer to kickoff. “It doesn’t mean that for sure he will play, we’ll see. Maybe a few minutes, maybe just practice so he can improve his condition for the second match. We will have to evaluate.”.
The worry behind the timetable is Yamal’s left hamstring injury. He picked it up while converting a penalty kick for Barcelona in a Spanish league match on April 22. In the days since. Yamal has spoken about the fear of missing the tournament that begins on June 11 in North America. He said he was scared of not making it and prayed that he would recover in time.
Spain’s opening match against Cape Verde comes in Group H. After that, Spain faces Saudi Arabia on June 21 in Atlanta and Uruguay on June 26 in Guadalajara—fixtures that make the next few training sessions and medical checks feel unusually high-stakes.
De la Fuente also confirmed that other injured players will sit out the Iraq warmup. Nico Williams and Víctor Muñoz are among those not expected to play on Wednesday. He added that those who took part in the Champions League final will not feature either. De la Fuente did not name who is likely to play in Spain’s final warmup match against Peru in Mexico on Monday.
Yamal is expected to lead the Spain squad as the team aims to win its second World Cup title. Spain has never gone past the round of 16 at the World Cup since it claimed its lone tournament success in 2010.
“We are all excited to get started and try to do well at the tournament,” De la Fuente said—an upbeat message delivered with the schedule still hanging on whether Yamal’s hamstring holds up from training to matchday.
The sequence is straightforward: no Iraq warmup, then a June 15 decision date that could range from a limited cameo to full availability—or, if the body needs more time, work aimed at making the second match possible.
Lamine Yamal Spain World Cup 2026 Cape Verde Iraq warmup Luis de la Fuente Nico Williams Víctor Muñoz hamstring injury Atlanta Group H